2008 Woodie Awards
Lennox, Gates butt heads
Roscoe bans videotaping on campus without permission
By: Frank Wisswell
Issue date: 10/17/07 Section: News
Isabella County prosecutors will not press charges in two related cases filed this week involving a CMU student and a university administrator, said Steve Smith, director of media relations.
Topinabee junior Dennis Lennox II and Pam Gates, interim dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, each filed incident reports and charges with CMU Police following a Monday incident.
CMU Police handed the reports to the prosecutor's office.
Even though the county isn't pressing charges, the university is going forward with an investigation of its own.
"I would just say that the university is disappointed in the events that occurred," Smith said.
During the incident, which took place between 3 and 4 p.m. in the reception area of Gates' office, Lennox said he attempted to serve the administrator with papers requesting access to e-mails under the Freedom of Information Act. Lennox said he asked Gates for every correspondence concerning Griffin Endowed Chair Gary Peters and himself.
Lennox, president of Students Against Gary Peters, said Gates initially denied his request but accepted it after talking to legal counsel.
"She grudgingly accepted (the papers)," he said.
However, Lennox said he was worried Gates would change her mind about accepting the papers and took out his camcorder to record her reaction.
Gates then swatted the camera and asked Lennox to leave her office.
The video of Gates swatting the camera showed up Monday night on the popular Web site Youtube.com, as well as on channel 5 WNEM News.
Gates was called for comment Tuesday morning and did not return messages as of press time.
Smith said he has asked Barb Taylor, interim affirmative action officer, to lead the investigation.
Charges still could be filed through the Office of Student Life and Faculty Personnel Services, he said.
"(In any similar case) we would do some kind of internal investigation," he said.
Topinabee junior Dennis Lennox II and Pam Gates, interim dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, each filed incident reports and charges with CMU Police following a Monday incident.
CMU Police handed the reports to the prosecutor's office.
Even though the county isn't pressing charges, the university is going forward with an investigation of its own.
"I would just say that the university is disappointed in the events that occurred," Smith said.
During the incident, which took place between 3 and 4 p.m. in the reception area of Gates' office, Lennox said he attempted to serve the administrator with papers requesting access to e-mails under the Freedom of Information Act. Lennox said he asked Gates for every correspondence concerning Griffin Endowed Chair Gary Peters and himself.
Lennox, president of Students Against Gary Peters, said Gates initially denied his request but accepted it after talking to legal counsel.
"She grudgingly accepted (the papers)," he said.
However, Lennox said he was worried Gates would change her mind about accepting the papers and took out his camcorder to record her reaction.
Gates then swatted the camera and asked Lennox to leave her office.
The video of Gates swatting the camera showed up Monday night on the popular Web site Youtube.com, as well as on channel 5 WNEM News.
Gates was called for comment Tuesday morning and did not return messages as of press time.
Smith said he has asked Barb Taylor, interim affirmative action officer, to lead the investigation.
Charges still could be filed through the Office of Student Life and Faculty Personnel Services, he said.
"(In any similar case) we would do some kind of internal investigation," he said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 78
Nick Smith
posted 10/17/07 @ 2:50 AM EST
Is it just me, or does that Lennox character seem to start some sort of different ineptly-conceived little incident or something virtually every semester? It seemed like every semester my last couple years at CMU this guy would go out of his way to start some sort of incident or something that would play out for a month or so in CM-Life over whatever it is he's trying to accomplish at that particular moment. (Continued…)
Nick
posted 10/17/07 @ 7:26 AM EST
Why is a public University censoring students? Students can no longer record lectures for future reference?
This is their reaction to Pamela Gates assault of a student who had the gall to ask tough questions?!
Say what you will about someone's tactics. (Continued…)
Neil Konwicki
posted 10/17/07 @ 10:03 AM EST
Why does CMU keep going to such extreme lengths to protect Gary Peters?
They let him break his contract by running for Congress, trustees gave him campaign contributions, they banned students from recording his lectures for studying, a dean accosted a student and now they're banning video cameras on campus. (Continued…)
Kelli Hemmer
posted 10/17/07 @ 10:05 AM EST
As a taxpayer, I'm ashamed that a Dean would physically attack a student for using his right to obtain public records.
John Fitz
posted 10/17/07 @ 10:07 AM EST
CMU legally can not prohibit people from videotaping, photographing or recording audio in public places. And as a law student, I'd recommend students and journalists call the ACLU immediately. (Continued…)
Laura Matthews '04
posted 10/17/07 @ 10:09 AM EST
Why is CMU censoring students? This never happened when I was a student on campus. Warriner Hall should be ashamed.
Kyle Warber
posted 10/17/07 @ 11:49 AM EST
It is so funny that Pam Gates probably laughed and scoffed at the people who grew mad at Michael Moore for sticking a camera in their face. She probably cheers on grass roots movements as they try to take on the conservative establishment like the Bush administration and frustrtae them at every turn. (Continued…)
Carson
posted 10/17/07 @ 12:23 PM EST
I love how everyone is attacking a dean without knowing the full story. She was not interviewed before the story so her side could not be given. She was scared of this Lennox! He is an imposing person and Gates is a very small woman! Who could be afraid of her?! All she did was make a motion to push down his camera. (Continued…)
Ashley
posted 10/17/07 @ 1:25 PM EST
Did you all watch the same video that I did? Lennox put that video camera right in the Dean's face. I would have swatted at it too if it was that close to my personal space. (Continued…)
MACStudent
posted 10/17/07 @ 1:41 PM EST
The video looks like Pam pushes the camera out of her way, not an assault on a student. Maybe if she touched him, but if you push a camera out of your way it isn't "assault". (Continued…)
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